Machine for vending packaged products



March 24, 1964 L- K. PICKERING 3,126,123

MACHINE FOR VENDING PACKAGED PRODUCTS Filed Feb. 6, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 "'H MW- M1 I mul 1"" INVENTOR. LZ/IO/Y K P/cke/vng March 24, 1964 L. K. PICKERING MACHINE FOR VENDING PACKAGED PRODUCTS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 6. 1961 March 24, 1964' L..K. PICKERING 3,126,123

MACHINE FOR VENDING PACKAGED PRODUCTS Filed Feb. 6, 1961 3 Sheets- Sheet s INVENTOR. A 020xv K Hake/wag H TTOENE Y5 United States Patent 3,126,123- MACHINE FOR VENDING PACKAGED PRODUCTS Lenox K. Pickering, Port Washington, N.Y., assignor to The Vendo Company, Kansas City, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Filed Feb. 6, 1961, Ser. No. 87,221 12 Claims. (Cl. 221-75) This invention relates to a machine for vending packaged products and particularly to a novel and economical unit especially adapted for dispensing cartons containing a beverage or other liquid in response to deposit by the customer of appropriate coins into the machine.

Although useful for vending various packaged articles of merchandise, the present dispensing mechanism is particularly adapted for the vending of milk cartons one-byone from a relatively large supply of cartons which are stored in a cool condition within the cabinet of the machine and with dispensing of individual cartons being effected without the customer being required to perform any, operation other than introduction of coins of proper value into the coin receiving equipment of the machine. It is therefore, the most important object of the present invention to provide simple and trouble-free mechanism for vending packaged products individually from a plurality of horizontal package supports adapted to receive a number of cartons thereon and with the supports being disposed in vertically stacked relationship so that a maximum number of packages may be placed within a rectangular chamber forming a part of the dispensing machine. In this respect, a further important object of the invention is to provide vending mechanism as described wherein individual cartons are vended from a series of lower supports during each cyclic action of the mechanism, by virtue of the fact that the lower supports carry successively smaller numbers of cartons thereon as the lowermost package support is approached, whereby simultanernous movement of all of the supports effects successive vending of products from the lower supports during operation of the machine through a predetermined number of cycles determined by the number of lower vending package supports adapted to support successively lesser numbers of the cartons to be dispensed.

It is also an important aim of the present invention to provide vending mechanism wherein a pair of the dispensing units referred to above, are positioned in side-byside relationship and having power operated means coupled thereto for alternately actuating the same to successively vend individual packaged products from alternate dispensing units and without the customer having to select which unit a packaged article will be dispensed from. In this manner, uniform removal of articles from the storage chamber is eftected and the machine will be completely emptied of cartons before the sold out circuit takes over to control the vend mechanism.

A still further important aim of the invention is to proice vention is to provide a machine wherein the product delivery mechanism is constructed to permit vending of articles from the lowermost end of respective stacks without the necessity of the packaged products being positioned one on another with the lowermost product of each stack thereof supporting the remaining packages thereabove.

Also an important aim of the instant invention is to provide a vending machine having a pair of independently operable units for supporting and dispensing individual packaged products during cyclic operation of the machine and including a common power source for actu ating the supporting and vending units to thereby simplify the construction of the machine, the operation thereof and the number of parts required for the same.

Other important objects and details of the present invention will become obvious or be explained in greater detail as the following specification progresses.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of mechanism for vending packaged products and adapted to be mounted within the cabinet of a vending machine or the like;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are fragmentary, vertical cross-sectional views on a reduced scale and taken substantially on the lines 22 and 33 respectively of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, vertical cross-sectional view on a reduced scale and taken on the same line as FIG. 3 but showing one of the product supporting and dispensing units in a different condition of operation thereof;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, enlarged view of the drive gears for actuating the supporting and vending units and adapted to be driven by a suitable common prime mover; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, enlarged, top plan view of the lowermost product support forming a part of one of the vending units and illustrating a modified form of shelf construction to permit adjustment of the effective length thereof.

Vending mechanism embodying the preferred concepts of the present invention and broadly designated by the numeral 10, is illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5 inclusive of the drawings and is especially adapted for vending packaged products in the nature of cardboard containers 12 receiving a liquid beverage such as milk. It is to be understood that mechanism 10 is mounted within the cabinet of a vending machine or similar housing and operably coupled to suitable coin operated mechanism which controls a vend switch associated with mechanism 10. Although mechanism 10 is especially useful in the vending of milk containers 12, it can be recognized that various types of packaged products may be placed in mechanisms 10 for dispensing of individual packages in response vide vending mechanism for packaged products wherein the products are supported by a pair of upright stacks each having a number of horizontal shelves connected to corresponding rotatable members carried by the frame of the machine, and with the shelves of adjacent members in each of the stacks being located at substantially right angles with respect to each other so that when all of the members are rotated through an arc of approximately 90, the shelves initially disposed in supporting relationship to respective packaged products are moved out of supporting positions while the shelves immediately therebelow are rotated into locations receiving and thereby supporting respective products, whereby the latter move progressively downwardly in respective stacks during the vending'operation. Also an important object of the into the customer depositing coins of predetermined value in the coin operated unit. As will be explained invgreater detail hereinafter, mechanism 10 is of particular utility in the vending of milk containers 12 because of the crosssectional configuration thereof wherein the peaked tops on the same preclude vertical stacking of the cartons one on top of the other.

The main firame 14 of mechanism .10 includes a pair of upright, elongated, generally rectangular side walls '16 and 18 disposed in parallel, horizontally spaced relationship and interconnected by a number of horizontally disposed straps including a pair of upper, generally U-shaped straps 20 and 22, somewhat wider intermediate U-shaped straps 24 and Q6, and narrower, U-shaped lowermost straps 28 and 30. The straps 20 to 30 inclusive have inwardly extending legs 32 in overlying relationship to the outer faces of opposed side walls 16 and 18 and are secured to the later by suitable fasteners in the nature of bolts or screws. A strap 34 which is also of U-shaped configuration and thereby provided with a bight 36 and a pair of opposed, parallel legs 38 and 40, is mounted on the strap 24 with the legs 38 and 40 in overlying relationship to the legs 32 of strap 24. The innermost face of bight 36 is disposed in horizontally spaced relationship with respect to the outer face of strap 24 in order to present sufficient space there-between for accommodating gears forming a part of the drive mechaisrn of mechanism as will be described hereinafter.

The straps 20 to 30' serve as means for supporting a pair of generally identical vending units 42 and 44 adapted to receive a plurality of the containers 12 and to release one container from the individual vertical stacks during each cyclic operation of mechanism 10.

Means for supporting vending units 42 and 44 includes a pair of angles 46 and 48 having opposed, outwardly directed legs secured to straps 20, 24 and 28, while a pair of angles 50 and 52 also have outwardly extending legs which are suitably secured to the straps 22, 26 and 30 respectively. As best shown in FIG. 1, the inwardly extending legs of the angles 46 to 52 are in complemental, abutting relationship and aligned transversely of frame 14 equidistant bet-ween opposed faces of side walls 16 and 18.

Each of the vending units 42 is provided with a plur-ality of elongated rods 54 which are positioned in parallel relationship and extending through suitable openings therefor in the outwardly directed legs of corresponding angles 46 to 52 inclusive. It is to be noted that the rods 54 carried by angles 46 and 50 are located in vertical alignment While the rods 54 mounted on angles 48 and 52 are also in vertical alignment and all of the rods 54 in opposed vertical stacks are positioned in equidistant spaced relationship. However, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the rods 54 carried by angles 46 and 50 are disposed in vertically staggered relationship with respect to the rods 54 mounted on angles 48 and 52. Rods 54 extending through the outer leg of angle 46, are provided with individual cranks 56 thereon, each having a tubular boss 58 telescoped over and secured to the outer ends of rods 54in proximal relationship to angle 46'. Crank arms 60 connected to respective bosses 58 and extending laterally therefrom, have outwardly projecting pins 62 on the outer extremitiesthereof remote from corresponding bosses 58 and which are received in suitable openings therefor in a connector bar 64 which is L-shaped in transverse section (FIG. 1'). 'The rods 54 extending through angle 48 are also provided with cranks thereon and which are denominated broadly by the numeral 66. Each of the cranks 66 has a tubular boss 68 telescoped over and secured to the ends of corresponding rods 54, but as shown in FIG. 1, bosses 6-8 are substantially shorter than bosses 58 so that the crank arms 70 connected to and extending laterally frombosses 68, are positioned inwardly from crank arms 60 in closer spaced relationship to angles 46 and 48 as is evident from FIG. 1 of the drawings. The pins 72 on the outer ends of corresponding crank arms 70 are also received within aligned openings in an elongated L-shaped connector bar 74 which is parallel with bar 64 but located in closer proximity to angles 46 and 48 than bar 64. It is to be understood that C-clips or other suitable means are provided on each of the pins 62 and 72 for maintaining bars 64 and 74 thereon.

The rods 54 associated with corresponding bars 64 and 74 are grouped in series of four with the lowermost bars 54 of units 4-2 and 44 being designated 54a, 54b, 54c and 54d respectively. The next four rods 54 counting in an upward direction from the lower extremities of units 42 and 44, are denominated 54c, 541, 54g and54h respectively. The remaining rods 54 are identical in characteristics and function with rods 54a to 5412 inclusive and therefore will not be designated with particularity.

As indicated in FIGS. 2. and 3, the lower rods 54a of units '42 and 44 are each provided with an elongated shelf 76 thereon'which is located in proximity to angles 50 and 52-, and is of sufiicient longitudinal length to'support only 4 one of the containers 12 as indicated in FIG. 2. The shelves 76 extend radially from corresponding rods 54a, with the shelf 76 on rod 54a of unit 42 directed downwardly while the shelf 76 on rod 540 of unit 44 is directed upwardly, it again being noted that rods 54a are located in vertically staggered relationship.

The shelves 78 connected to rods 54b of units 42 and 44 and extending radially therefrom, are somewhat longer than shelves 76 and adapted to support a pair of containers 12 in side-by-side relationship and adjacent angles 50 and 52. The shelves 78 are directed toward each other and located in 90 angular relationship to the shelves 7'6 therebelow. The shelves 80 secured to rods 540 of units. 42 and 4-4, disposed radially with respect thereto and also located in proximity to angles 50 and 52, are sufiiciently longer than shelves 78 to accommodate three of the containers 12 in proximal abutting relationship. As shown in FIG. 3, the shelves 80 are both directed upwardly and also in 90 angular relationship with respect to the shelves 78 therebelow. The upper shelves 82 of the lower group of container supports and secured to the rods 54d of units 42 and 44, extend substantially the full length of such rods and are thereby adapted to support four of the cartons 12 in side-by-side disposition. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the shelves 82 project outwardly in opposite directions and again are located in 90 angular relationship with respect to the shelves 80 on rods 540. The shelves 84 mounted on rods 54a to 54h inclusive of units 42 and 44, are virtually identical with shelves 82 and thereby adapted to support four of the containers 12 disposed horizontally thereon. It should be noted that the shelves 84 on rod 54e are normally disposed downwardly and upwardly respectively in the same manner as shelves 76 on rods 54a of units 42 and 44 respectively, and that the shelves 84 on rods 541, 54g and 54h of units 42 and 44 are located in the same disposition as the shelves 78, 80 and 82 respectively of the lower four container supports.

Power operated means 85 for effecting movement of the rods 54 to vend one of the containers 12 during each cyclic operation of mechanism 10, includes an electric motor 86 mounted on the outer face of bight 36 and supported thereby, with the drive shaft 88 of motor 86 extending through bight 36 and mounting a drive disc 90 having a series of teeth 92 in only a portion of the outer peripheral margin 94 thereof. As shown in FIG. 5, a Geneva gear 96 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 98 carried by bight 36, in a position so that the four equidistantly spaced, arcuate surfaces 100 thereon may complementally engage the margin 94 of disc 90. Furthermore, the teeth 102 of gear 96 and intermediate adjacent surfaces 100, are disposed to intermesh with teeth 92 when disc 90 has been rotated through a predetermined portion of the arcuate path of travel thereof.

A second Geneva type gear 104 mounted on shaft 106 carried by bight 36 and provided with four equidistantly spaced, arcuate surfaces 108 disposed to complementally engage margin 94 of disc 90, also has a toothed section located in spaced relationship to surfaces 108 axially of shaft 106 and with teeth 110 extending around the entire periphery of gear 104 as shown in FIG. 5. It is also to be understood that gear 104 is provided with four series of teeth 109 between adjacent surfaces 108 and which intermesh with teeth 92 in disc 90 when the latter moves into proximity to gear 104. Teeth 110 are adapted to operably mesh with the teeth 112 of a relatively small spur gear 114 carried by shaft 116 on bight 36. A second spur gear 118 of equal diameter to gear 114 and having teeth 120 in meshing relationship with teeth 112, is mounted on a shaft 122 carried by bight 36. A final, relatively large gear 124 having outer peripheral teeth 126 in intermeshing relationship with the teeth 120 of gear 118, is mounted on a shaft 128 on bight 36 which is positioned to one side of and below shaft 98. As in dicated in FIG; 5, Geneva gear 96 is provided with an outwardly projecting pin 130 thereon located in eccentric relationship to shaft 98 while gear 124 is also provided with an outwardly extending pin 132, likewise positioned eccentrically with respect to shaft 128. The connector bar 64 is provided with a block 134 thereon in direct opposition to Geneva gear 96 and has an opening therein for rotatably receiving pin 130 as is shown in FIG. 1, while the block 136 on connector bar 74 also has an opening for pivotally receiving the pin 132 carried by gear 124.

The initial stand-by condition of mechanism is illustrated in FIG. 3 wherein none of the shelves 76, 78 and 80 are in container supportive positions thereby permitting four of the containers 12 to be disposed on both of the shelves 82 as well as all of the shelves 84 thereabove which extend outwardly in the direction of opposed faces of side walls 16 and 18. Containers 12 are loaded into mechanism 10 by pushing the same through the spaces between angle members 50 and 52 and opposed side walls 16 and 18 with the containers being shifted along the outwardly projecting shelves 84 until the containers abut the inner faces of straps 20, 24 and 28, or the outer faces of respective containers 12 as the same accumulate in horizontal side-by-side relationship on corresponding shelves 84. When all of the outwardly projecting shelves carried by rods 54 are filled with containers, mechanism 10 is in condition for operation and electric motor 86 is placed in circuit with the vend switch forming a part of the coin controlled mechanism referred to above. It should be pointed out that the vend switch is either associated with a timer or controlled in such a manner that the motor 86 will be energized for a predetermined interval each time coins of a predetermined denomination are inserted in the coin controlled unit of the vending machine. It is contemplated that motor 86 be energized for a sufficient interval to rotate disc 90 through an arc whereby the teeth 92 thereon move through a path of travel equivalent to 180. Thus, during the initial operation of electric motor 86 upon deposit by the customer of suitable coins into the coin controlled mechanism, the disc 90 will be rotated from a lo cation with the teeth pointing downwardly as shown in FIG. 5, into disposition with teeth 92 facing directly upwardly.

During rotation of disc 90 through a 180 arc, the margin 94 thereof slides on directly opposed surfaces 100 and 108 of Geneva gears 96 and 104 respectively and with such gears remaining in a stationary condition until the teeth 92 move into intermeshing relationship with the teeth 102 of gear 96 in closest proximity to toothed section 92 of disc 90 as the latter moves in a clockwise direction during energization of motor 86. As soon as toothed section 92 of disc 90 engages the proximal teeth 102 of gear 96, the latter is caused to rotate through a 90 angular path of travel whereby the pin 130, which is initially disposed at a 45 angle with respect to the horizontal and relative to the axis of rotation of gear 96, is also caused to move 90 angularly whereby the connector bar 64 is shifted through a 90 angular path of travel under the influence of pin 130 which is pivotally received in the block 134 mounted on bar 64. As bar 64 moves upwardly and to the right as shown in FIG. 4, the cranks 56 are caused to rotate about the axes of respective bosses 58 whereby all of the rods 54 are rotated through a quarter turn to thereby shift the various shelves mounted on the same, through 90 angular paths of travel. The shelf 82 on rod 54d of unit 42 is caused to move downwardly to release the four containers 12 supported thereby, while shelf 80 on rod 54c of unit 42 is moved into disposition extending toward the opposed face of wall 16 whereby shelf 80 serves as a support for three of the containers 12, but inasmuch as shelf 80 is shorter than the shelf 82 to the extent of one container 12, it can be seen that the latter, designated 12a in FIG. 2, is permitted to gravitate through the open bottom of frame 14 for delivery to the customer. The shelf 78 on rod 54b of unit 42 is now in an upright position extending upwardly, while shelf 76 on rod 54a of unit 42 is directed toward the opposite face of side wall 18.

The motor 86 continues to run until the toothed section 92 of disc 90, is in an upwardly facing disposition, but it can be seen that Geneva gear 96 is rotated through only a angular path of travel because as soon as the teeth 92 disengage from the teeth 102 between a pair of surfaces of gear 96, disc 90 is permitted to rotate relative to gear 96 until teeth 92 are at the upper end of their path of travel and caused to stop by virtue of interruption of actuation of motor 86 through the timing circuit controlled by the coin actuated mechanism as set forth above.

In the next cycle of operation, motor 86 is energized to cause the shaft 88 thereof to be rotated through another angular path of travel whereby disc 90 is rotated in a clockwise direction to cause the teeth 92 thereof to move into engagement with the teeth 109 of gear 104. Inasmuch as gear 104 is also of the Geneva type, it can be appreciated that the same is rotated through a 90 angular path of tarvel in response to rotation of disc 90 through 180, whereby the intermeshing gears 114 and 118 cause gear 124 to be rotated clockwise through a 90 arc in re sponse to rotation of gear 104. The pin 132 on gear 124 is shifted through a 90 angular path of travel whereby the bar 74 is shifted in a clockwise direction to cause the cranks 66 to be rotated about the axes of bosses 68 whereby the rods 54 of unit 44 are rotated clockwise to thereby move the carton supporting shelves through 90 angular paths of travel. In this manner, one carton is released from unit 44 from shelf 82 in the same manner as described with respect to unit 42.

The cyclic operation described above is continued with the units 42 and 44 alternately dispensing one carton in response to actuation of motor 86 for a period to move the disc 90 through 180. As is apparent from FIG. 2, when shelf 80 of each of the units 42 is moved into disposition extending downwardly, a carton will be released therefrom inasmuch as the shelf 78 therebelow is of insufficient length to support the outermost container 12 remote from angle 50. Similarly, when shelf 78 is moved into a downwardly extending disposition, a container will be vended from shelf 78 inasmuch as the lowermost shelf 76 on the lower rod 54a of each unit 42 and 44 is of sufficient length to support only one of the cartons 12. The final carton is then released by shelf 76 when the latter is moved downwardly as indicated in FIG. 2.

It is important to note that by the time the last carton is vended from shelf 76, four additional cartons have moved down into a location where the same are supported by the shelf 82 of each unit 42 and 44 whereby the cyclic process just described is repeated until containers 12 are exhausted from mechanism 10.

It should be pointed out that a particularly important feature of the instant invention is the fact that alternate vending from units 42 and 44 achieves maximum economy in space utilization since the supporting shelves of adjacent units 42 and 44 cooperate in such a manner that the vertical center lines of rods 54 can be closer together than would be the case if one unit 42 was completely exhausted of containers before the other unit 44 was actuated to dispense containers therefrom. The arrangement provided also simplifies application of the source of power such as electric motor 86 for vending of containers.

A modified form of the instant invention is illustrated in FIG. 6 wherein it can be seen that the shelf 76 on each of the rods 54a is provided with a plate 200 on the uppermost face thereof, of generally rectangular configuration,

and provided with an elongated, centrally disposed slot 202 therein for clearing fastening means 204 threaded into shelf 76 of each unit 42 and 44. By virtue of this construction, the effective width of each of the shelves 76 may be varied to accommodate containers of different sizes. It is to be understood that the shelves 78 and 80 also may have adjustable extensions thereon so that the effective length of these shelves may also be changed. By virtue of this construction, mechanism 10 could be set up to vend substantially wider articles so that only three containers are positioned on the shelves 82 and 84 and with provision being made for causing the mechanism to go through a complete cycle upon three customer deposits for each of the units 42 and 44.

It is apparent that other modifications may be made in the present construction without departing from the spirit of the invention and it is therefore intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A machine for vending packaged products comprising a plurality of rotatable, horizontally disposed members positioned in vertically spaced relationship; product support means on each of the members and disposed in substantially radially extending relationship thereto, every fourth support means extending in the same direction and adjacent support means being at substantially right angles with respect to each other; and means operably coupled to said members for rotating each of the same through substantially a 90 arc during each vending cycle, said product support means being disposed in positions causing each of the support means extending in a direction to support corresponding products, to move out of supporting relationship to respective products during each vend cycle and with the support means next below the support means initially supporting said products, moving into locations receiving said products in supporting relationship thereto whereby products are vended consecutively and repetitively from the lowermost support means of the vertically aligned stack thereof, which is disposed in article supporting disposition at commencement of the vend cycle.

2. A machine asset forth in claim 1 wherein said members comprise elongated shafts and said support means include elongated shelves secured to and projecting outwardly from respective shafts.

3. A machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein the support means on four adjacent members are disposed in successive 90 angular positions in the normal direction of rotation thereof.

4. A machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein is provided means operably coupled to said members for simultaneously rotating the latter through said 90 arcs during each vending cycle.

5. A machine as set forth in claim 4 wherein said means for simultaneously rotating the members includes a crank connected to each of said members at respective ends thereof, and an elongated bar pivotally joined to the outer extremities of all of the cranks.

6. A machine as set forth in claim 5 wherein is provided power operated means for effecting rotation of said cranks and thereby the members through 90 arcs during each vending cycle, said power operated means including a rotatable disc having connector means thereon in cccentric relationship to the axis of rotation of said disc, said connector means being coupled to said bar for moving the latter in response to intermittent rotation of said side-by-side relationship, and the support means on the remaining members are of sufiicient length longitudinally of respective members to accommodate four products in side-by-side relationship.

8. A machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein is provided a vertical support wall positioned in horizontally spaced relationship from said members a distance only slightly greater than the width of said products, said support means comprising shelves of a width substantially narrower than said distance whereby the wall and said shelves cooperate to support said products within the machine.

9. A machine as set forth in claim 5 wherein is provided a pair of stacks of said vertically spaced members positioned in proximal, parallel, side-by-side relationship, the cranks on horizontally opposed members being in parallel relationship and the bars pivotally coupled to said cranks being spaced apart a distance sufiicient only to permit the cranks and respective bars of one stack to move through a are without contacting the opposed, proximal cranks and bars of the other stack.

10. A machine as set forth in claim 9 wherein each of said cranks has a vertically disposed leg secured to a corresponding bar and to the members respectively, each of said legs being disposed at an angle of approximately 45 with respect to the vertical when the machine is in stand-by condition.

A machine for vending packaged products comprising a plurality of rotatable, horizontally disposed members positioned in vertically spaced relationship; product support means on each of the members and disposed in substantially radially extending relationship thereto with certain of the product support means located in a position to support the products and the other product support means being disposed out of article supporting positions, said support means from the topmost thereof and for a plurality of same being each supportive when appropriately disposed of 11 products and thenceforth consecutively supportive of 71-1, 72-2 to n(n-1) thereof; and power operated means operably coupled to said members for rotating the latter through predetermined arcs during each vending cycle, said product supports being disposed in positions causing each of the support means extending in a direction to support corresponding products, to move out of supporting relationship to respective products during each vend cycle and with the support means next below the support means initially supportmg said products, moving into locations receiving said products in supporting relationship thereto, whereby products are vended repetitively from the lowermost support means for n products and thence consecutively from the next adjacent support means therebelow.

12. A machine as set forth in claim 11 wherein is provided a pair of vertical stacks of members having product support means thereon, said stacks being disposed so closely in side-by-side relationship that a static condition of the members of one stack would cause interference with rotation of the members of the other stack, and means coupled to said stacks of members for alternately elfecting rotation of the members of one stack and the other whereby the members are cooperable to obviate :aid interference as products are vended alternately thererom.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,438,503 Holt Mar. 30, 1948 2,453,280 Stewart Nov. 9, 1948 2,564,552 Verdery Aug. 14, 1951 

1. A MACHINE FOR VENDING PACKAGED PRODUCTS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF ROTATABLE, HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED MEMBERS POSITIONED IN VERTICALLY SPACED RELATIONSHIP; PRODUCT SUPPORT MEANS ON EACH OF THE MEMBERS AND DISPOSED IN SUBSTANTIALLY RADIALLY EXTENDING RELATIONSHIP THERETO, EVERY FOURTH SUPPORT MEANS EXTENDING IN THE SAME DIRECTION AND ADJACENT SUPPORT MEANS BEING AT SUBSTANTIALLY RIGHT ANGLES WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER; AND MEANS OPERABLY COUPLED TO SAID MEMBERS FOR ROTATING EACH OF THE SAME THROUGH SUBSTANTIALLY A 90* ARC DURING EACH VENDING CYCLE, SAID PRODUCT SUPPORT MEANS BEING DISPOSED IN POSITIONS CAUSING EACH OF THE SUPPORT MEANS EXTENDING IN A DIRECTION TO SUPPORT CORRESPONDING PRODUCTS, TO MOVE OUT OF SUPPORTING RELATIONSHIP TO RESPECTIVE PRODUCTS DURING EACH VEND CYCLE AND WITH THE SUPPORT MEANS NEXT BELOW THE SUPPORT MEANS INITIALLY SUPPORTING SAID PRODUCTS, MOVING INTO LOCATIONS RECEIVING SAID PRODUCTS IN SUPPORTING RELATIONSHIP THERETO WHEREBY PRODUCTS ARE VENDED CONSECUTIVELY AND REPETITIVELY FROM THE LOWERMOST SUPPORT MEANS OF THE VERTICALLY ALIGNED STACK THEREOF, WHICH IS DISPOSED IN ARTICLE SUPPORTING DISPOSITION AT COMMENCEMENT OF THE VEND CYCLE. 